Hose coupling mounting machine



May 23, 1950 R. s. DOE- RR 2,508,377

OSE COU G MOUNTI 3 sheets-sheet 2 May 23, 1950 R. s. DOERR HOSE COUPLING MOUNTING MACHINE i Filed June 1, 194e vm .m am arm. OV n Dm ..A. nu, Y

R. S. DOERR HOSE COUPLING MOUNTING MACHINE May 23, 1950 3 Sheets-Shea?l 3 Filed June 1, 1948 RS. Doer'r ATTORNEY atented Vay r243, 1I-9546 HOSE oOUrLING MOUNTINGv MACHI Raymond S. Doer'r, Battle Creek, Mich., assigno to H. B. Sherman Manufacturing Company; Battle Creek, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application June 1, 1948, Serial No. 30,371

9 Claims.

The present invention relates broadly to iluid voperated machines, and in its specific phases to an air operated machine for mounting hose couplings on hose.

Hose couplings at one time were substantially all fastened in place on the end of pieces of hose by means of hose clamps, and this practice is still quite common. Later it became common to use ferrules in the place of hose clamps and then inwardly rib them in place to bind the hose onto the preribbed tail of the hose coupling. This proved to be a relatively satisfactory procedure eso far as holding the coupling on the hose was concerned, but it recently has become apparent :that with this type of construction the extending :ribbed tail of the coupling which ts into the hose acts to undesirably restrict the uid pas- :sageway and thus causes a reduction in the uid fllow capacity of the hose. This led to the idea that it would be better to expand the tail of the moupling after mounting on the hose, since this -would grip the end of the hose to the inside face :of a ferrule mounted thereon and thus reduce or completely overcome the restriction effect encountered with garden hose couplings in the past. ltis now recognized that this expansion gripming can best be accomplished, and provide exceptional holding capacity, by forming expanded ribs in the tail of the coupling. The expanding iofja rib in the end of the coupling tail beyond thefend of the ferrule was proposed some time aago, but -thatplaces an abnormal strain on the hose-fabric and produces an unsightly bulge beyond the end of the ferrule which tests show to be undesirable. In fact numerous tests have lead to the discovery that the best results are obtained when the internal ribs are all expanded in the coupling tail within the length of the ferrule. A method of nishing and mounting separable thin metal hose couplings according to that plan isset forth in the copending patent application o f L. M. Stinchcomb and R. S. Doerr, Serial No. 791,482, filedDecember 13, 1948.

Rapid action in the mounting of couplings in final position is required for maximum productloneiliciency, with resulting low cost, and yet the manner in whichthis is accomplished determines topa considerable degree how satisfactory the coupling is in actual use. One thing which the tests uncovered in developing the pres- ;ent invention was that to expand all of the internal ribs at one time took much more power than progressively expanding the ribs so that the rst rib is completed before the second, and the second before the third. This progressive rib expansion also appeared to produce not only an exceptionally high holding strength for the coupling, as compared with other procedures, but also a long life assembly. The latter is possibly due to moderate self-relieving of strain in the coupling tail during the progressive rib expansion, which facilitates higher gripping pressures and better holding of same after the expanding step is complete. It was a recognition of the shortcomings of the prior art and the desire to produce al better coupling joint having exceptional holding power, and long life coupled with a large Yflow area through the coupling, which lead to the conception and development ofthe hose coupling mounting machine of the present invention.

, Accordingly among the objects of the present invention is the provision of a simplified, rapid acting, and eiiicient machine for use in mounting separable hose couplings on the ends of a section of hose.

Another object is to provide a machine adapted to expand the sleeve of a hose coupling and place circumferential ribs in same entirely Within the length of the ferrule mounted on the outer face of the end of the hose. Y Another object is to provide a separable hose coupling machine which utilizes an elongated expansion member having extending exible and resilient multiple segments with circumferential ribs on the outer face of same in desired location for producing ribs within the length of the ferrule, this expansion member being fixedly held against endwise movement.

Another object is to provide a separable coupling mounting machine wherein the expansion member is actuated by means of an expansion mandrel which is movable in endvvise direction by any suitable means.

A further object is to provide an expansion member which has a substantially straight bore and an expansion mandrel which has a relatively straight shank followed by a gentle outward curve or taper which is preferably in the form of an ogee curve, which thus permits starting the formation of the rst rib before the second, and then completing the first rib before completing the second, and starting the second before the third, et cetera.

Another object is to provide a separable hose coupling mounting machine which requires less power to operate, produces an exceptionally strong anchoring of the coupling on the hose, and a better final product than is possible where al1 of the ribs are simultaneously expanded rather than in consecutive order.

A still further object is to provide a separable hose coupling mounting machine which permits the use of couplings having sleeves which will readily slide into the end of the hose on which they are to be joined and wherein such couplings in the course of the operation of the machine have their Vsleeves expanded to provide substantially free ow therethrough with all of the ribs expanded in the sleeve being within the length of the ferrule on the outside of the hosev end.

A further object is to provide afhos'coupling mounting machine which is easy to manufacture, islong lived, and very easy to'o'perate.

Still further objects and advantages of the present invention will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, consists of the d means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the annexed drawings and the following description setting forth infdet'ail certain means for carrying out. the invention, such disclosed'means, however, being but one of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be used. I n'the annexed drawings-- Figure l shows a perspective assembly View of a preferred form ofthe present invention.

Figure 2 shows a partially sectioned view of the operating cylinder and expansion assembly.

l"Figure 3 shows van enlargedl vertical center section of the expansion member and expansion mandrel portion of the assembly.

Figure ly shows an enlarged vertical center section similar to thatv of Figure 3 but showingr the positionk of the parts at the completion of the expansion.

- Figure 5 shows an enlarged end view of the ferredV form of the expansion member;

Referring more particularly to Figure 1 of the drawings, it will be noted that the peratinghead portionil of the assembly vis shown asmunted on `a"'conventional tablepr bench 2, and that below this bench area pair of uprights 3`an`d 4 which support the air supply pipe`5, although any other conventional means may be used to support the assembly if desired."

a' Theoperating head portion I` has a mounting frame 6, Figure 2, on, which a double acting cylinder 'I is carried.l Within this cylinderl is'a piston awhich is connected in conventionalmanner'to, a piston rod 9 and this piston rod in turn 'isprovided with a conventional lpacking gland assembly Il) at its point of emergence from the cylinder. free endI of piston rod 9 is preferably threaded and a mandrel connecting member H connected` thereto in conventional manner such as by means of threads as shown. The oppositeend'of this mandrel connecting member is internally threadedto join the threaded end of the expansion mandrel I2. In order to firmly grip this expansion'` mandrel the mandrel mountingmem-ber is longitudinallysplit to a conventional Vcrossl opening I3. In Figure 2 this split is behind the mandrel threads while in Figure 3y the mandrel connecting 'member has been rotated 90 and the splitI I4' thus appears as a plain surface. A pair ofstuds l5 serve to tighten the mandrel connecting-'member onto the threaded endof` the expan- 4 sion mandrel and prevent its withdrawal under operating pressure.

Mounted on supporting frame S is an open top support assembly l5, the outer end of which is bored and threaded coaxially with the mandrel, and a holder Il is threadedly connected to same. This holder may be removed and replaced with other holders of varying lengths to take care of different types and sizes of Vcouplings lwhich must be properly spaced relative to the other parts of the expansion assembly in order to make certain that, laccording to preferred construction, the expansion ribs are entirely within the length of the ferrulev I8 whichv is mounted on the outer surface. of the end of hose I9 on which the coupling is -to be mounted. Holder Il, to facilitate assembly of the apparatus, is provided with a longitudinal opening of a size to permit the ribbed end of the expansion member 20 to pass therethrough. The inner end of holder Il is counterbored and` threaded to receive the heador body portion 2| of expansion member 2d as well as an externally threaded. and quickly removable mane drel guide member 22 which also acts to rigidly heid; head 2| of the, expansion member 2.?3 in place. It should be noted at this point that the expansion member` has circumferential ribs on its outer face, with such ribs. preferably located as, shown so as to be within the length of the fer-rule I8"on the end of hose I S. This expansion member is also longitudinally split back to its body portion 2l, to form a plurality of segments 23 which are relatively narrow but sufficiently, rigid to preventv buckling and yet flexible and resilient so as to facilitate movement in an outward direction to, take. care of the, expansion, and form the ribs inltail 2 of the separable coupling to be mounted. For simplicity of explaining the. invention, only the sleeve 24 of the female hai'f ofthe coupling hasbeen shown although in actual operation this apparatus operates on either the male or female half, and holder Il passes into the 'standard enlarged end of each so as to abut the end of the tail which is to be expanded.

The expansion mandrel I2., which isN particularly shown in Figures 2 and 3, has an elongated portion extending' from its threaded end out through the expansion member 2G. At the outer end of this expansion member the mandrel preferably curves outward gently according to what is commonly known as 'an 'ogee vcurve following which the mandrel extends substantially straight and full size to its end to support'the expanded portion of the coupling while the vtablsered por'- tion is'used-toconti'ri-uethe progressive expansion. This construction, it has'beefnfound, substantially prevents breakage-of tri @Xpa nrnemeersegments 234 under conditionsoff'use and allows them to bend'` and"substantiallyiV iow'" along the ogee curveunder rib formingV ressuresofth twas pis'- ton 8- moves tothe riglita-"sv` sb e the expansion mandrel L21 moves l wise and the end of segments 2"3 followingth'efo 'ee' curve 'move outward to start'thefgeneral 'expa coupling sleeve 2 4. as' the mandrel progress'esfurther itv starts to forceV the'rstrib' of the segments outward andv after this hafsmoved outward for a substantial'distance the second rib starts to moveoutward and ntheirlater th'efthird rib, wan trie nfst'nbbeing 'fiiy'roimed'befere the second and the secondbefor the-third?" This progressive expansionand" forming of the ribs one after another reducestheamount'of opera-t;V ing power Yrequired at any one time tocompletly anchor the-coupling on the-hose landf'at the same of oil' to the air passing to the cylinder.

time experiments show that the final product is much stronger than that normally expected since apparently the progressive expansion of the ribs permits moderate self-relieving of the internal stresses and strains placed uponnthe coupling sleeve as the expansion operation proceeds.

The compressed air used for operating the apparatus is received through pipe 5 by a water removing device from whence the air passes to a pressure regulator 26 which is set at the reduced operating pressure required for the particular size coupling to be mounted on the hose. The pressure regulated air then passes through an oil supplier 21 which delivers a minute amount This air is then delivered by means of pipe 28 to an operating valve 29 which has an operating pedal 30. This operating valve may be of various types, one being such that when the pedal 3I'I is depressed, air will be delivered by means of pipe 3| to cylinder 1 on the expansion mandrel side of piston 8 While air in cylinder 1 on the opposite side of the piston is discharged through pipe 32 back to valve 29 from whence it is released. Then when the operators foot is taken oif of pedal 30 that pedal automatically rises and delivers air through pipe 32 to cylinder 1 to move piston 8 to the left while air isfdischarged through pipe 3l back to valve 29` for release, thus completing the operating cycle. is automatic in its operation in that the operator merely steps on pedal 35 and then removes his footv following which valve 29 goes through the complete cycle of operations without further action by the operator. For the mounting of 5A," couplings on the end of a section of garden hose, it has been found that with one form of the expansion machine of the present invention a mandrel 8% long may be conveniently used. The large end of this mandrel is in diameter and 1" long, while the taper area is 2" long with the curvature radius at each end of the tapering portion being 10". The remaining /8" length of the mandrel is approximately ege in diameter. The expansion member in turn is 31/8 long and the enlarged ring-shaped body portion of same is approximately 1%" long with the balance of the length in the form of segments or fingers of which there are eight. The bore of the expanding member is and the outside diameter of the segments is s1 Three circumferential ribs extend outward from the segments with quarter inch spacing starting 1A?" from the free end, these ribs having an outside diameter of approximately and have sloping sides with an included angle of and a at top als wide.

The operation of the apparatus as a whole is as follows: A suitable size ferrule having an inturned flange on one end, such flange preferably having an inside diameter substantially the same as the coupling sleeve 24 will have when expanded, is placed on the end of hose I 9, The coupling with its sleeve in the position shown in Figures 2 and 3 is then slipped onto the expansion member up against holder I1, and hose I9 carrying ferrule I8 is then pushed thereon to the position shown in Figures 2 or 3. The operation of foot pedal 30 as described above then moves the expansion mandrel I2 to the right to complete the expansion of the coupling sleeve and form outwardly directed ribs in same within the length of ferrule I8, following which the mandrel again moves back to its initial starting position, thus completing the joining of the coupling half on the Another, and preferred form of valve 29,

end of the hose which is then reived andthe cycle repeated with another coupling half, hose, and ferrule.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of those explained, change being made as regards the apparatus herein disclosed, provided the meansstated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In an expansion machine for mounting hose couplings on the ends of hose sections, the combination which comprises a hollow expansion member having a short ring-shaped body portion from one end of which extends in tubular pattern a plurality of elongated and resilient fingers, said whole expansion member having a, substantially uniform diameter bore throughout when in contracted position, a mandrel, said mandrel ex-` tending through the hollow portion of said expansion member and having a straight 'portion freely iitting the bore of said expansion member when the latter is in contracted position, said straight portion being followed by a moderately outward tapering portion and a substantially straight portion of approximately the same size as the diameter at the largest portion of said taper, means for holding the body portion of said expansion member in xed position, and means for moving said mandrel to expand and then retract said fingers.

2. In an expansion machine for mounting hose couplings on the ends of hose sections, the' combination which comprises a hollow expansion member of general tubular shape with a substantially uniform diameter bore throughout and having a short ring-shaped body portion at one end and from which extend a plurality of relatively thin elongated and resilient fingers, at least one circumferential rib on the outer face of` said resilient fingers near the free end of same, a mandrel, said mandrel extending through the hollow portion of said expansion member and having a straight portion freely iitting the substantially uniform diameter bore of said expansion member when the latter is in contracted position, said straight portion being followed by a moderately outward tapering portion substantially in the form of an ogee curve and a substantially straight portion of approximately the same size as the diameter at the largest portion of said taper, means for holding the body portion of said expansion member in xed position, and means for moving said mandrel to suitably expand and then retract said fingers.

3. In an expansion machine for mounting hose couplings on the ends of hose sections and having a double acting piston and cylinder, with means for controlling the flow of fluid for actuating said piston, and a piston rod, the combination which comprises a mandrel, means for removably fastening said mandrel to said piston rod for endwise movement therewith, an expansion member with a substantially uniform diameter bore throughout and having a short body portion with cross ribbed segments extending endwise therefrom in tubular pattern, said mandrel and expansion member being substantially concentric, and means for anchoring the body portion of said expansion member against endwise movement while allowing said segments to expand outward a limited amount at their free end.

4. In the expansion machine as set forth in claim 3, wherein said mandrel has a substantially- 

